Solstice Scents
Solstice Scents is the SUPERSTAR of the small fragrance companies.
I am so behind on my reviews of their products. I have quite a few of them, and let me tell you, this little company rocks. I will review each product, and that will take some time, but in the meantime, go to the
Solstice Scents website and take a leisurely stroll through their beautiful website. Enjoy the product descriptions, they're like little fairy tales! Enjoy the beautiful art! And purchase anything that grabs your fancy, my friends, without a care, 'cause the customer service is superb and the
magic is strong.
Solstice Scents Basilica Perfume
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| La Ermita de La Caridad del Cobre, Miami, Florida |
It flat out rocks! I LOVE this!
Basilica is a visit to La Ermita in Miami. I walk in to see the little virgin up on her pedestal, dressed in her finery, and surrounded by Teok Carrasco's powerful mural.
Solstice Scents Cascade of Gold Premium Fragrance
Ladies and gentlemen, it is Tuesday the 1st of May 2012 and the anniversary of my grandfather's (Esteban) death. May is also dedicated to The Madonna. It is also the date on which I received my order of new fragrance samples from Solstice Scents, Cascade of Gold is one of three. The other two will be reviewed separately.
I have to take a little sidetrip first. Solstice Scents always has beautiful packaging, but this time, ahhhh, the enclosures were magnificent. In addition to my beautiful little samples, Angela enclosed her usual lovely things, such as her business card and a thank-you card. Then there's a bookmark that's to die for. Let me describe it. It's medieval in appearance--hope I got that right--past bookmarks have been as well, but read on about this one. It has been treated with some sort of color or process that makes it appear as though it's lit up! There's a deer in the woods, quietly resting in the brush. It's a male deer, I guess, it has antlers--I should know this since I read, and loved, TheHidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas check it out here. There's a tree behind the deer and a crow or a raven is sitting on one of the tree's branches. The bookmark is absolutely beautitul, and will be put to use immediately when I get my latest reserve book at the library.
OK, by now you've noticed that I digress. Too bad. If you've stuck with me, I'm now going to tell you about Cascade of Gold Premium Fragrance. It is a very unusual scent, and I like these strange concoctions! Immediately upon application I was able to smell incense, a very subtle incense. I thought of a place in Miami that I visited so many times, so many years ago. It was called The 1800 Club. It was near the water. It was dark, with lots of highly polished wood and coral rock walls. Orchids and bromeliads poked out of the coral and wildly colored fish swam in marine tanks behind the bar. The pilots of the Goodyear blimp used to hang out at the bar. The 1800 had a sombre atmosphere. No one bothered you there. You could relax. Cascade of Gold surrounded me with this sort of mellow, smoky presence that relaxed me right away and transported me right back to The 1800 Club. Now that the fragrance has dried on my skin, I'm still able to smell its smokiness as well as a very interesting floral--the white lotus, perhaps--and that reminds me of the flowers growing out of The 1800's coral walls. Cascade of Gold is beautiful and exotic.
Solstice Scents Courtyard
Courtyard Premium Fragrance is a new scent from Solstice Scents, and this one, like Cascade of Gold, reviewed above, is another strange concoction... in a VERY good way. Solstice Scents' description of this scent says it contains lavender, and this nearly put me off trying it because I hate anything with lavender. So, I was very pleasantly surprised when I tried out my sample today and was... intrigued. I never smelled the lavender, not even after the drydown. In fact, my poor nose wasn't able to detect any of the wonderful ingredients it contains, but it did find that the resulting blend is absolutely magnificent.
Courtyard smells clean, strong, and elegant. I think that this could be a unisex scent, like the ones in the Comme des Garcons line. I love this bodaciously-good-ass-baby!
Solstice Scents Dellamorte Perfume
I purchased a sample of Dellamorte perfume from Solstice Scents because someone on their Forum wrote that "...if you love carnations, you'll love this." And I LOVE carnations! Check this out to get a full description of Dellamorte.
Years ago, I purchased a perfume at Harrod's in London called Malmaison by Floris of London. I fell in love with it because it was pure carnations "amped up" several times! Sadly, this perfume is no longer the same. It's still available for purchase, but it's very different, I think. If you, like me, love carnations, I think you would have loved this scent. Well, Floris of London may no longer have Malmaison, but Solstice Scents has Dellamorte! And Dellamorte is definitely for the serious carnation lover. So, what do I feel when I wear Dellamorte? Brightness... lots of bright, happy light that reminds me of the terrace at my house in Cuba.
Solstice Scents Dragon's Blood Perfume
Does our sense of smell change? I used to hate dragon's blood
scent. Then I didn't. I began to like it... a lot.
This link is for the Dragon's Blood Burnishing Glace, but I have the Dragon's Blood perfume. I've posted the link for the glace because Solstice Scents describes their fragrances far better than I can. OK, I like this perfume very much. It lasts on my skin all day. I feel
power when I wear it. I feel safe. I seem to reach for it on a day when I expect to encounter CONFLICT.
Solstice Scents Flintlock Perfume
Not for me. I received a sample of
Flintlock perfume from Solstice Scents, and tried it on today. On my skin, this fragrance is very "green." It's also rather masculine. So, I gave it to my husband, and when he put it on... Whoa! Fabulous! The smell pulled me back to summer vacation in Camaguey at my grandfather's ranch. My parents' car has just pulled into the long drive, flanked by Royal Palms. My heart's jumping out of my chest with happiness and excitement. School's out and I get to spend one glorious month at the ranch! I never want to return to Habana. I see the house in the distance. I'll get to ride "my" horse. Oh, if time could only have stood still in that perfect moment.
Solstice Scents Foxcroft Perfume
Real nice, but not for me. I purchased a
sample and tried it on today. The instant it went on my skin, I smelled strong pine-like resin, but within seconds the scent became a little "smokier" and darker. I think this may be one of Solstice Scents' top sellers. This scent made me think of my first visit to Gainesville a long, long time ago when it was less developed and woods were everywhere. It was a whole new experience for me (coming from Miami, and before that, Cuba). I'd never seen so many trees nor such dark and quiet nights. It was autumn, so it was brisk. This is what Foxcroft smells like to me. I can't say, really, why I didn't fall in love with it.
Solstice Scents Jack and The Devil Perfume
I friggin' died and went somewhere fabulous the day I applied my first dab of this to my wrist! I might of landed on that new planet scientists have just discovered. No wonder they found it... they just followed my screams!
This fragrance is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
Here's a description, and you'd damn well better read it because not only is the fragrance AMAZING, but the entire website is magic! It's beautiful and it's instructive. "Jack" is fabulous on its own, but I love to mix scents, and this one really mixes with
Thierry Mugler's Angel (see review of Angel & Jack). When I wear Jack & The Devil I see
the back of the compact man in a moleskin coat trotting a dark bay horse on a riding trail bordered by trees. You want to know who this guy is? Hell, I don't know. He's what I see every single time that I wear this scent.
Here's another mix I like: Solstice Scents Jack and the Devil perfume and Haus of Gloi Litchi Milk Tea perfume oil (see review of the latter, above). Apply the Jack first--heavily, baby. Then, apply one dab of Litchi Milk Tea OVER the Jack. The result is like taking a leisurely stroll, all by yourself, down the narrow, shady street of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul and ahead of you, you see...
Solstice Scents Manor Perfume
I like this! On the "darkness scale,"
Manor is in the middle, and that makes it perfect for me to wear on days when I want less dark. Interestingly, I got no impression when I applied Manor, and no memories either. That happens sometimes, and then one day, I apply the same fragrance again and, BOOM, a memory or "scene" jumps out at me.
Solstice Scents Nightgown Perfume
Yum! I love this! And what a surprise that was! My only criticism is the name. I never would have tried out
Nightgown simply on account of its name. I noticed, however, that lots of people purchased it so I thought I'd try a sample. And I'm very glad I did. Upon application, I smelled a beautiful jasmine, then, as it dried, I picked up a beautiful blend of what smelled, to me, like white flowers. It's just beautiful, and it never got sickening/cloying. I'd definitely like to buy this one in future.
Solstice Scents Night Star Perfume
I purchased a sample.
Night Star is very soft on my skin. There's a coolness and softness about it. It's pretty, but I prefer the bolder, darker scents, so I wouldn't purchase this one. You know what, I bet I could wear this one to sleep at night... it's soft enough to not be a bother while sleeping. YES! I wear fragrance even when I go to sleep! Don't you?
Solstice Scents Pumpkin Spice Latte Perfume
I wear
Pumpkin Spice Latte in fall and winter, and I love it. When I've got it on, I "see"
red and golden leaves on trees tumbling on the ground as the wind pushes them. I see tall trees and paths in the woods, fallen acorns, and squirrels darting up tree trunks. I see a lit room through the windows of someone's house... cozy, yes, this scent is cozy.
Solstice Scents Russian Caravan Perfume
A very interesting, and different scent.
Russian Caravan is so different from anything other fragrance I own, that I had to wait a while after applying it to decide if I liked it. And... I do! It's very "smoky" on me. It brought to mind the fall nights that I spent in the country in Martinsville, Indiana with my cousin and his wife. We'd sit outside and talk, smoke, and drink Jack Daniels (I don't do this--the drinking, that is--anymore!), and I'd smell the scents of Fall--dry, intense, earthy, and a little smoky from fires earlier in the day when people burned their leaves.
Solstice Scents Snowshoe Pass Perfume
I received a package from Solstice Scents yesterday. I ordered several samples and a home fragrance oil. I'll be reviewing each item after I try it. First of all, however, I want to tell you about the beautiful packaging from Solstice Scents. My items arrived in a nest of confetti-like material, safely nestled for their journey to me. Little branches of seasonal greenery peeked up at me when I opened the box and I found little acorn Christmas tree decorations, complete with bells, in this box of joy!
On to the
Snowshoe Pass Perfume Sample... I couldn't resist! I had to try it on late last night! This fragrance is very interesting, and beautiful. As always, please read the description provided by Solstice Scents because they do a great job. Here's what I "got" the instant the sample bottle's wand touched my skin:
My grandmother. And not in the "granny" way because this woman was the very definition of elegance. She's fetching me at school (rescuing me from the nuns!) in her little white Zephyr car, and she's wearing the suit I love so much--black boucle with tiger-like stripes on its shawl collar. I used to stare at that collar and imagine a tiger draped around her neck and chest. I jump into the Zephyr, throw my book bag onto the back seat and we're off for an afternoon snack at the famous El Carmelo! is beautiful. When I first applied it to my wrist, I thought I wasn't going to like it because I smelled pure chocolate. Oh, oh. But............... yep, once this little baby dried, hold on! It is lovely. This radiant, ethereal, fragrance took me back to my childhood at my grandfather's cattle ranch and
the garden after a heavy afternoon rain when I would smell wet flowers and grass, and everything had a mist around it, everything standing still for that one second that felt like an hour, and my grandfather is standing at the end of the breezeway with the little glass full of blue liquid, sweet and deadly.
